Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Acuna Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Acuna

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,260 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $925 in Acuna, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,125 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,551 in Acuna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,990 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,177 in Acuna, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 36% more than Acuna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Playa del Carmen and Acuna are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Acuna 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.72 MX$203

$13.74 MX$238

-14.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.89 MX$726

$22.24 MX$385

88.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 MX$182

$7.89 MX$137

33.21%

Cappuccino

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.72 MX$47.08

31.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 MX$26.13

$1.01 MX$17.58

49.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.86

$1.03 MX$17.93

-10.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$51.2

$2.36 MX$40.81

25.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 MX$76.4

$3.94 MX$68.3

11.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.19

$1.54 MX$26.65

-9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 MX$32.65

$1.93 MX$33.42

-2.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.01

$1.70 MX$29.45

-8.24%

Eggs

$2.61 MX$45.20

$2.92 MX$50.5

-10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.32 MX$144

$6.61 MX$114

25.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 MX$145

$4.86 MX$84.2

71.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.86 MX$188

$9.01 MX$156

20.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$47.00

$2.41 MX$41.72

12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.08

$1.39 MX$24.04

8.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.46

$1.76 MX$30.45

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.94

$1.90 MX$32.94

15.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.18

$1.82 MX$31.60

2.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 MX$38.64

$1.49 MX$25.78

49.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.51

$1.02 MX$17.64

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.82

$1.31 MX$22.65

-16.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.5

$3.97 MX$68.7

5.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.43 MX$181

$9.30 MX$161

12.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.72

$1.54 MX$26.68

7.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.26

$2.81 MX$48.69

-7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.39

$0.61 MX$10.53

-11.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.16 MX$453

$23.71 MX$411

10.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.3

$2.70 MX$46.79

14.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$41.66

$1.58 MX$27.39

51.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$8.11 MX$140

-61.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.72

$1.24 MX$21.49

5.65%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.8K MX$516.4K

$17.3K MX$300.5K

71.86%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.3K MX$404.1K

$18.1K MX$313.5K

28.90%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$81.3 MX$1,408

$56.1 MX$971

44.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.56 MX$391

$22.02 MX$382

2.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.05 MX$521

$37.59 MX$651

-20.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 MX$917

$28.57 MX$495

85.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 MX$319

$14.63 MX$253

25.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 MX$85.2

$4.14 MX$71.7

18.84%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$201 MX$3,479

$159 MX$2,754

26.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,175 MX$89.7K

$3,658 MX$63.4K

41.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.92 MX$622

$46.32 MX$802

-22.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.13 MX$695

$39.90 MX$691

0.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 MX$1,381

$86.2 MX$1,493

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,498

$84.2 MX$1,459

2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$978 MX$16.9K

$290 MX$5,032

236.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$470 MX$8,152

$202 MX$3,492

133.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 MX$28.6K

$836 MX$14.5K

97.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,203 MX$20.9K

$634 MX$11.0K

89.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,953 MX$68.5K

$1,714 MX$29.7K

130.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,607 MX$114.5K

$1,148 MX$19.9K

475.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$677 MX$11.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.48

-0.52%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 27, 2026

Last update for Acuna: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $978 in Playa del Carmen versus $290 in Acuna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $22.00 in Acuna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $221 – making Acuna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Acuna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 36%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,890 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,388 in Acuna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,260 in Playa del Carmen and $925 in Acuna. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 10% less in Acuna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $925, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,260. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Acuna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.